Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the leading toll road developer and operator in the Philippines, continued championing progress, sustainability, and road safety in its 3rd Transport Conference, held on November 14, 2024, at The Golden Ballroom in Okada Manila.
The annual conference, a dedicated platform for strengthening relationships and fostering collaborations with stakeholders, brought together key industry leaders from the country’smajor bus and trucking organizations, jeepney associations, and UV Express groups.
The conference featured insightful discussions, expert presentations, and panel sessions focusing on highly anticipated topics in the transport industry, including digital transformation, sustainable mobility, disaster risk prevention, infrastructure trends and advancements, and community engagement.
Among the prominent speakers were Sen. Raffy Tulfo, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Services and Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, Hon. Jaime Bautista, Secretary of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and His Excellency Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to the Philippines and Palau.
In his talk, Sen. Tulfo encouraged service providers in the industry and government agencies involved in transportation to make public welfare their inspiration for improvements and innovations. “All over the world, at any given time, there is a Filipino moving from point A to point B. We are indeed a moving people and nation. That’s why I appreciate this year’s Transport Con theme: Moving People, Transforming Communities,” he said. “Serve the public first. Let’s bring back the ‘public’ in public transportation. I believe we must listen more to our consumers—the people we intend to serve.” He added, “The countries with the best transportation systems are those where people use public transport not as an alternative mode but as a primary mode of transportation.”
Bautista emphasized infrastructure development’s critical role in economic growth. “Transport infrastructures, as we have shown, create jobs and livelihood in and around project sites. Such opportunities allow Filipino families to remain intact without seeking jobs abroad. The socio-economic benefits are felt at local wet markets, schools, hospitals and clinics, small businesses – creating a ripple effect that attracts conglomerates to build malls and shopping centers, signifying progress,” he said. Adding that, “Partners like Metro Pacific Tollways help us get the job done better and faster with a quality level that raises government projects to international standards.”
His Excellency Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, discussed the importance of people-centered infrastructure, drawing on Denmark’s experience. “A people-centric approach is very important to us because it helps us better understand how we can optimize for the choice we will be making for transportation. Whether they cycle, they walk, or they take a subway or they take a car, people should have good choices available,” he said.
Hearing these insights, Alex Yague of Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Nangagasiwa ng Panlalawigang Bus sa Pilipinas Inc (NSNPBPI) expressed gratitude for the opportunity to connect with policymakers. “This is a big help for the operators to be able to touch face to the people in the government because we need a lot of partnership with the public and the private sector,” he said.
Lawyer Don Mañebo of Hataw, on the other hand, appreciated the future transportation solution plans NLEX has presented to them and said, “We’re able to keep abreast of the future of the transport industry and the future transport infrastructures. It’s great to see that some of our feedback to NLEX has been taken into consideration as well in their planning for the future to make our transport system more efficient and cost-effective, ultimately to the benefit of consumers.”
With the theme, “Moving People, Transforming Communities,” the conference underscored MPTC’s commitment to delivering exceptional public service beyond its core business by driving sustainable national growth. Further, it highlighted their essential role in facilitating smooth travel, connecting millions of Filipinos, and making a difference in communities.
Through this initiative, MPTC reaffirmed its dedication to building a more connected and sustainable future—one journey at a time.
